Electrode for neon vacuum tubes



p 1932- R. c. SMALLEY 1,877,204

ELECTRODE FOR NEON VACUUM TUBES Filed March 20, 1926 ATTORNEY S advantageous in view of the ease with which Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES ROBERT C. SMALLEY, 0F ARLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ASS IGNOR TO CLAUDE"NEO LIGHTS, 1110., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK" 1 ELECTRODE FOR NEON VACUU MJTU BES Application filed March 20, 1926. Serial No. 96,162.

In the patent to Claude No. 1,125,476 is described a luminescent tube containing neon and provided with internal electrodes, such as copper and aluminum, connected-directly to a source of potential for illuminating said neon, said electrodes being deprived of occluded gases and having an area exceeding 1.5 square decimeters per ampere. The necessity for the liberation of the occluded gases in the electrodes is pointed out in said patent and particularly in the Claude Patent No. 1,131,910.

My invention is an improvement upon the Claude patents above referred to one of the more important objects of which is to provide an electrode which permits the ready removal from said electrode of the impurities contained therein and having particular utilityiJ in its combination with a neon vacuum tu e.

Further objects, advantages and features of construction will more fully hereinafter appear taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

big. 3 illustrates how the ends of the electrode may be utilized as a leading-in wire.

Fig. 4 1s a slightly modified form.

Referring to the drawing in detail the reference numeral 10.designates one end of a neon tube. The electrode 11 consists of a helical, spiral, or any continuous conducting wire, ribbon, tube, or the like, the ends 12 and 13 of which are sealed in the seal-off portions 14 of the tube. The coiled electrode 11 may be of any suitable conducting material such as copper and aluminum. 1t will be noted that the electrode is formed of thin material, and may be flat or rounded or otherwise shaped in cross-section as a result of which the occluded gases therein, when the current is passed through the same, can be readily liberated, and are liberated very effectively by heating the same to incandescence while the tube itself is being exhausted. I have found this electrode to be particularly PA EN oFF CEf 3 I the impurities can be removed therefrom as compared with an electrode of solid'form as heretofore used for this purpose. After the impurities have been removed from the elec- I trode in the manner above described and after a the tube itself, together with the walls of the tube, have been purged of the impurities contained therein the terminals 12am]. 13 of the electrode are bent together and thereafter form. the leading-in wire 15 of the elec-' trode in the operation of the tube? This leading-in Wire is then connected directly to i a source of potential for supplying electrons at a high velocity to activate and ioniZe the neon in the tube during operation thereof. It will of course be understood that the other end of the neon tube is with a similar electrode.

The electrode being directly connected to a source of potential it will be understood in the operation of a neon or other" gaseous tube that the electrode should'have' a substantial area exceeding 1.5 square decimeters" preferably provided per ampere, the reasons for which are clearly pointed out in the patent to Claude No.

1,125,47 6 above referred to, that is to say, to

decrease the vaporization of the electrode'and also decrease the formation upon the walls of the neon tube of disintegrated electrode particles containing said neon. The result of this is that the luminosity of the tube will remain constant for a considerable period of time without the necessity of replenishing the tube with additional neon. At the same time the impurities are removed from the electrode in the manner above stated it will be understood that the impurities in the tube itself and in the walls of the tube are removed by the simultaneous heating of the tube by other means, such as baking the same in an oven specially designed for that purpose, and exhausting bymeans of a suitom the true spiritand scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An electrode in a luminescent positive Q column tube of light comprising a continuous, coiled wire having the ends thereof sealed into and insulated by the end of said tube whereby an electric current can be passed through the wire of the electrode to heat the same to incandescence to remove the occluded impurities therefrom, and means electrically joining together the ends of said wire.

2, The method of manufacturing a luminescent tube light having spaced coiled electrodes whereof the respective ends of each electrode are sealed into and insulated by an.

end of the tube, comprising in passing an electric current through the electrode to heat the same to incandescence and thereby. remove the occluded impurities therefrom and thereafter joining the ends of each electrode to form a leading in wire in the operation of the tube.

3. An electrode in a positive column tube having an envelope charged with. gas comprising a continuous wire having a plurality of convolutions disposed within the envelope, the ends of the wire being anchored in and pro'ecting through the tube, said ends being ins .ated from each other, and means to electrically join the ends of the wire outside ofthe envelope.

' 4. An electrode in a positive column tube having an envelope charged with gas com- I prising a continuous wire havinla plurality of convolutions dis osed within e envelope, the ends of the wire bein anchored-in and projecting through the tu said'ends bein insulated from each other, and the ends 0 the wire outside of the tube being electrically joined together. L

a In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th da of March 1926.

ROB RT 0. SMALLEY. 

